Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-12-23
THE G0TERNMENF AND sCTENCF.


III W. I'm AMN EEI.EI LUfrI.
Untiring Efforts % Uncle sam Making New
Discoveries
youths Companion.1
Governments tends to become stead
lily more costly, not only in this, but in
other countries. The average cost OF
the British Government is fully S5G,-
600, 600 year more than it was ten
years ago, exclusive of war operations.
The expenditures Of the United States
have increased quite as much in the
same time although the interest on
the public debt has been largely re-
duced.
But the country, at least, gets much
more for its money than it did in for
mer times. The Government, for exc
ample, has become the leading agent
in gathering material for the study Of
science.
Probably there are not many people
who realize what an amount and variety
of work is done IN this direction by
means of public funds. Many of the
departments in which this SCI vice is
performed have been long established,
while others are Of comparatively re-
cent foundation.
The earth, the air, the sea, and the
sky are studied by most capable ex-
Perts. The Government supports a
Geological Survey to examine the
structure Of the soil and the rocks
The surface OF the earth, the coast line.
the tides, the coast currents and the
river channels are ascertained and
mapped by the Coast and GeOdetic
Survey.
Then there is the weather service of
the War Department, which not only
Is the most perfect service of the kind
IN the world, but Is providing a mass
OF material for the exact study of the
science Of meteOrOlOgy which is unex-
ampled IN its amount, IN its variety and
in its accuracy.
Perhaps it would not be true to say
that the Naval Observatory at Wash
ingtOn does more for astronomy than
any other observatory In the country,
but It's contributions to knowledge have
been great and valuable. And it pro-
vides, for navigators and astronomers,
IN the Nautical Almanac, what no pri-
vate institution would be likely to pro-
vide, so costly is the work.
Another group Of scientific depart
ments Is that which comprises the Fish
Commission, the chronological Com
mission and the Agricultural Depart
men. By these, which We're established
chiefly to furnish practical information
to farmers and fishermen, an immense
number of most useful scientific facts
are gathered and duly arranged.
Nor should we omit a mention of the
Smithsonian Institution, for although
it was founded and endowed by private
funds, all its operations are conducted
by persons who are appointed by au-
thority Of the United States Govern
ment
Medicine, too. is undeE great obliga-
tons to the liberal policy Of the Gov
eminent. Most important contribu-
tiOns to surgery have been made in the
publication Of the surgical records of
the cival war. The navy, too, has
given and still gives great aid in the
same direction; and the National Board
of Health viii in time solve many
problems relating to the introduction
and spreading of epidemic diseases.
Nor is the scientific activity of the
Government confined to such material
things as we have named. The greatest
scientific work of this decade is the
magnificent report on the census Of
1850. There Is hardly in existence such
a body of useful and accurate informa-
ton IN reference to any country of the
world as is to be found in these portly
volumes.
Furthermore, the Government en-
ployes a Commissioner of Labor Sta
tisties, whose duty it is to procure and
present facts concerning the condition
of those who are employed to work for
wages his work supplements that
which Is done in the several States
with the same object in view, and to-
gether they viii furnish a noble mass of
material for the social philosophers of
the future to digest.
There is but partial list of the vari-
GUS forms in which the National Gov
eminent is aiding in the advancement
Of science, though it includes all the
most important branches.
There are those who think that such
matters are wholly outside of the
province Of Government. They would
find it very difficult to prove that the
Coast Survey, for instance, had not
been Of immense service to the country
aud they would only be laughed at if
they We're to say that the work of the
survey should be confined strictly to
mapping the coast, and should let
science alone.
People in general viii think that
what has been done is we'll done, and
that government might wisely even ex-
tend its operations in the field of
science.